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A commemorative book on H & J Smiths has jumped to No 1 on the national Paper Plus Top 20 best selling books chart despite only being sold in the South.
Clive Lind’s book In the Service of Others – The history of H & J Smiths, was launched on November 24, two years after the department store ceased trading.
It is only available at nine Paper Plus stores across Southland and Otago along with a small selection of independent retailers.
Acton Smith, the company’s managing director for three decades, said the response had been overwhelming and was ‘‘deeply meaningful’’ for the family.
“It is incredibly moving to see how strongly Southlanders have embraced this book. H & J Smith has always belonged to the community as much as it belonged to our family.
“This milestone shows how deeply people care about the legacy and the stories held within these pages.”
Managing director Jason Smith said the book was never created to chase commercial success but to preserve part of Southland’s identity.
“To see it reach the top of the national best seller list is humbling and powerful. We wrote this book to capture the heart of a place that shaped all of us. This result tells us the heart still beats strong.”
Mr Lind said the public response reflected the depth of connection people had with the store.
— Allied Media
